Big Match

Big Match (also known as March Madness[1]) is an annual school cricket match played between rival schools in Sri Lanka. These schools have played against one another for many years, some for over a century. Big Matches have become an important part of modern Sri Lankan culture, with both school children and adults taking part in the activity.[2]

Big Match
CountriesSri Lanka
FormatTest, One-Day and Twenty20
First edition1879
Latest edition2023
Next edition2024
Number of teams34 (as of 2023)
Most successfulBattle of the Blues (144 Editions)
TVDialog TV, Peo TV
2023 Big Matches
WebsiteThePapare.com,
Batsman.com

Most Big Matches are played over two days. Three Big Matches (the Battle of the Blues, Battle of the Blues Ruhuna and Battle of North) are notably played over three days.[3][4]

Battle of the Rocks (2009)
Battle of the Maroons (2010)

History

Annual Big matches are played between two rival School cricket teams in Sri Lanka. These matches are known as March Madness because, big matches are usually held at the end of the first school term in March. Big matches provide competition among schools and it also serves as a meeting place for many old boys. Some of these encounters are very old, more than 100 years (Battle of the Blues (Colombo) - 144 years, Battle of the Blues Ruhuna - 123 years, The Lovers' Quarrel - 118 years, Hill Capital Battle of the Maroons - 116 years, Hill Country Battle of the Blues - 104 years).[5]

1879-1899 - Battle of the Blues (Colombo)
Main article: Battle of the Blues (Colombo) § History

Battle of the Blues (Colombo) has been played between Royal College and St. Thomas' College since 1879, for 144 years.[6]

1900-1904

Battle of the Blues Ruhuna has been played between St. Thomas' College and St. Servatius' College since 1900, for 123 years. [7][8][9]

1905-1964

Continually, many other Big Matches has begun in the following years.

List of Big Matches
Battle of the Blues Ruhuna (2015)

Current Big Matches
Following is a list of Big Matches still being held annually as of 2023[5]
Series Rival Schools First Edition Latest Edition Location Refs.
Battle of the Blues (Colombo) Royal College v St. Thomas' College 1879 144th (2023) Singhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground [6]
Battle of the Blues Ruhuna St. Thomas' College v St. Servatius' College 1900 123rd (2023) Uyanwatte Stadium [7][8][9]
The Lovers' Quarrel Richmond College v Mahinda College 1905 118th (2023) Galle International Stadium [10][11][12][13]
Hill Capital Battle of the Maroons Dharmaraja College v Kingswood College 1893 116th (2023) Pallekele International Cricket Stadium [14][15]
Battle of the Golds (Jaffna) Jaffna College v St. Patrick's College 1917 106th (2023) Jaffna College Grounds [16][17]
Hill Country Battle of the Blues Trinity College v St. Anthony's College 1914 104th (2023) Katugastota and Asgiriya Stadium [18][19][20]
Battle of the Maroons (Colombo) Ananda College v Nalanda College 1924 93rd (2023) Singhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground [21][22][23]
Battle of the Saints (Colombo) St Peter's College v St. Joseph's College 1933[lower-alpha 1] 89th (2023) Singhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground [24][25]
Battle of the Golds (Moratuwa) Prince of Wales' College v St. Sebastian's College 1933 73rd (2023) Tyronne Fernando Stadium [26][27][28][29][30]
Battle of the Golds (Panadura and Moratuwa) Sri Sumangala College v Moratu Maha Vidyalaya 1934 71st (2023) Tyronne Fernando Stadium [31]
Battle of the Babes St. Sylvester's College v Vidyartha College 1958 63rd (2023) Pallekele International Cricket Stadium and Asgiriya Stadium [32][33][34][35]
Battle of the Brothers (Colombo) Thurstan College v Isipathana College 1964 60th (2023) Singhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground, R. Premadasa Stadium and Thurstan Grounds [36][37][38]
Battle of the Rocks Maliyadeva College v St. Anne's College 1959 39th (2023) Welagedara Stadium [39][40]
Battle of Salpiti Raigam Koralaya Piliyandala Central College v Taxila Central College, Horana 2001 21st (2023) Tyronne Fernando Stadium [41][42]
Battle of the Golds (Colombo) D. S. Senanayake College v Mahanama College 2007 17th (2023) P. Sara Oval and R. Premadasa Stadium [43]
Battle of Golden Lions Dharmapala Vidyalaya v Rahula College 2012 12th (2023) Uyanwatte Stadium [44][45]
Rev. James Cartman Cup (Bens - Wesley) Wesley College v St. Benedicts College 2021 3rd (2023) P. Sara Oval [46]
Rev. Bro. Luke Gregory Shield (Bens-Wesley) Wesley College v St. Benedicts College 2022 2nd (2023) Singhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground [47]
Battle of The Blazing Blues Mahamaya Girls' College Kandy v St. Anthony's Girls' College 2023 1st

(2023)

 Pallekele International Cricket Stadium [48]

Former Big Matches
Following is a list of Big Matches that are no longer held as of 2023
Series Rival Schools First Edition Last Edition Refs.
Battle of the North Jaffna Central College v St. John's College 1901[lower-alpha 2] 2010s [49][50][51][52]
Battle of the Gold (Kegalle) Kegalu Vidyalaya v St. Mary's College 1960s 2010s [53][54][55]
Battle of the Blues (Ambalangoda) Sri Devananda College v Dharmasoka College 1966 2010s [56]
Battle of the Centralions Piliyandala Central College v Wadduwa Central College 1975 2000
Battle of Kotte Sri Jayawardenepura Maha Vidyalaya v St. Thomas' College 1976 2010s [57]
Battle of Dematagoda St. John's College v St. Mathew's College 1976[lower-alpha 3] 2010s [58][59][60]
Battle of the Golds (Matale) St. Thomas' College v Government Science College 1980 [61]
Battle of the Golds (Kandy) Sri Rahula College v Sri Sumangala College 1981 2010s [62][63][64]
Battle of Kelaniya Gurukula College v Sri Dharmaloka College 1988 2010s [65][66][67]
Battle of Sri Jayawardanapura St. John's College Vs Ananda Sastralaya 1990 2023s [68]
Battle of Greens

(Royal - St Jhons)

( Battle of Panadura )

 Royal College Panadura v St. John's College Panadura 1992 2023s [69][70][71][72]
Battle of Two Cities
(The F. R Alles Trophy)		 Rahula College v St. Aloysius' College 2003 2017 [73][74][75]
Battle of Greens (Wayamba) Royal College v Sir John Kotalawala College 2005 2010s [76][77]
Battle of the Hindus Jaffna Hindu College v Kokuvil Hindu College 2008 2010s [78][79]
Battle of the Golds (Ruhuna) Weeraketiya Rajapaksha Central College v Dickwella Vijitha Central College 2010 2010s [80][81][82]
Battle of the Greens Arethusa College v T. B. Jayah Zahira College 2012 2010s [83][84][85]
Battle of the Seagulls St. Peter's College v St.Sebastian's College 2012
Nikitha Grero Challenge Trophy Lyceum International School v Lyceum International School 2015 2019 
[86]
Battle of the Lords (Ratnapura) St. Aloysius' College v Prince College 2018 2018

Venues

Following is a list of venues Big Matches are held in 2023.[87]

Notes
  1. 30-over matches.
  2. Intermittently played due to the civil war.
  3. Intermittent.

References
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  2. The oldest match is the Royal-Thomian cricket encounter which has been played between S.Thomas' College Mount Lavinia and Royal College Colombo since 1879. It is hence older than the Ashes.Big Match Fever 2010 Archived 26 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine
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